Rev Bem
by Eryn
Summary: Rev's thoughts on Harper and vice versa


**DISCLAIMER:** Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda belongs to Tribune. I am just borrowing the characters to play with for a while!

**TIME LINE:** Seasons One/Two - set after Harper 2.0.

**NOTES:** A companion piece to a series of stories I wrote a while ago - "Harper", "Andromeda", "Dylan", "Tyr" and "Beka". Enjoy. 

**REV BEM**

by Eryn Grant

"No. That's not what I said," Harper protested shifting nervously. "A wise man knows his limitations."

"Near enough," Rev conceded turning to leave.

"Rev," Harper put his hands on his hips. Rev turned to look at Harper, who shrugged slightly. "I'm sorry for what I said," he pulled a face. "Whatever it was I said." Harper looked earnestly at Rev willing him to forgive him.

Rev smiled slightly. He bowed his head low, acknowledging the apology. Rev bowed again as he turned heading towards the door.

Harper watched Rev leave. "Man who woulda thought being a librarian could be so tough," he turned back towards his latest project. "Well. Looks like I'm going to have to do this the old fashioned way," he grabbed for his tool belt to strap around his waist. Harper pulled a face as he glanced down at the picture on the computer screen. "Oh man," he sighed to himself. Harper started to whistle as he idly collected together pieces of metal, wire and the tools he needed.

The door hissed shut behind Rev. He smiled - Harper was whistling tunelessly to himself. Rev started towards the command deck. As he moved away from the workshop, Harper's whistling became fainter and the silence seemed to surround and deafen him. Rev admitted to himself that he hadn't quite got used to the silence and the sometimes impersonal sterility of the Andromeda Ascendant even though Harper assured him that the warship sung to them.

Rev chuckled to himself, his thoughts turning to the young engineer. He liked Harper, always had done ever since their first meeting on the Maru. At first Harper had been very wary of him, keeping his distance, obvious fear showing in his pale expressive eyes. But gradually, over the years, Harper had finally relaxed in Rev's company. Rev liked to think that the young engineer had managed to finally trust him and may be even like him as a friend. 

Even though Harper had assured him that it wasn't him he was afraid of, that it had been the terrible nightmares caused by the data he had in his head, Rev had once again seen the naked terror in the young engineer's eyes and it disturbed and saddened him.

He took a deep breath. He never seemed to be able to escape from what he was - a Magog - and sometimes Rev found it very difficult to believe in his chosen path. The Divine never made it easy testing his faith almost daily and today had been no different. The inner turmoil that he lived with every day had almost overtaken him - Rev closed his eyes trying to purge the memory of himself losing his temper uncontrollably angry at the hurtful words Harper had spat at him in his native tongue. Dylan had managed to stop him, but Rev's greatest fear was nearly realised that he would revert to his Magog heritage and kill his friends one by one.

Rev shuddered at the thought and fingered his medallion unconsciously drawing strength remembering the oath he had sworn to the Divine, to walk wherever the path lead. He knew Dylan relied on him for his unruffled approach to any situation, but sometimes Rev found it difficult to be calm when all around him seemed in such chaos. And at times even the Way and the Divine didn't seem enough, Rev needed something else. He was searching.

Turning he narrowed his eyes staring at the shiny surface of the wall to his left. Rev could just make out his blurry reflection staring back at him. He reached out his hand, a long curved fingernail tracing the outline of his reflection. Suddenly angry with himself he snarled - no wonder people were afraid of him.

He turned away from his reflection wishing he could cry. He ached inside wanting to cry for a lost friendship and wondered if he and Harper would ever be friends again. Rev sighed again. Taking a deep breath, he decided to walk the Andromeda's isolated decks for a while telling himself that the silence would give him time to come to terms with his feelings of loss and sadness. "My pain belongs to the Divine. It is like the air. It is like the water," he chanted silently as he walked.

Harper flung the screwdriver against the wall frustrated at his failed efforts to continue his project. He half expected Rommie to appear from no-where to scold him for damaging her walls. But the workshop remained strangely quiet. Harper slid onto a stool with a huge sigh. Crossing his arms on the work bench, he rested his head staring distractedly at the bulkhead lost in his thoughts.

He remembered the day Beka had asked Rev to join the crew of the Maru. Harper had been horrified at the thought, his horror turning to terror as Beka introduced the Wayist monk. He couldn't quite believe that a Magog could be a man of peace and had kept his distance for weeks, always finding some excuse to be out of the way. But gradually Rev had worn him down showing him a side of a Magog that surprised and confused Harper. Despite all his misgivings and his natural defensive instincts, they had become comrades and friends. Harper couldn't help smiling to himself. 

His thoughts turned to the events of the past few days and he sighed loudly. The terrifying nightmares caused by the library archives had provoked him to hurt his friend. Harper knew, deep inside, that his guilty feelings didn't change the fact that Rev was a Magog - it was one of his greatest fears up there alongside his fear of Nietzscheans, bad coffee, or not having enough sparky cola or catching the measles.

Rev as always was generous in his forgiveness, but could Harper forgive himself for the treatment of his friend. "Yeah friend," he murmured to himself. Rev's face was the face of his nightmares, both waking and sleeping, but when he looked at Rev all Harper could see was his friend, his wise gentle friend, not the murderous form of a Magog who tore at flesh and killed indiscriminately.

Harper looked up at the ceiling wondering idly what he had done in a previous life to offend whoever was up there. Here he was on a warship, getting shot at every day, with two of his greatest fears - a Magog and a Nietzschean. And if that wasn't enough to add insult to injury he was too short and his immune system was dodgy at the best of times. Why did life always throw him hardballs? He banged his head on the work bench in frustration. "Ouch," he rubbed at his head. What was it that Rev had said earlier. "Oh yeah," Harper remembered. The Wayist monk could see a glimmer of wisdom. Harper grinned to himself - somehow Seamus Zelazny Harper and wisdom didn't seem to go together. But then in this crazy galaxy anything was possible, and Rev had seen it in him. He knew what he had to do. Harper leapt off the stool racing towards the door.

Rev turned. He could hear the pounding of boots on the deck plates behind him. He looked up confused wondering why he hadn't heard the alert. Harper appeared around the corner. "Hey," Harper yelled. "Wait up," he slid to a halt at Rev's side.

Rev bowed slightly. "Where's the fire?" he asked. 

Harper pulled a face. "Oh," he grinned. "That's a joke... right?" he grinned again.

"No," Rev replied quietly. "An observation."

"Oh," Harper stared at his boots. Rev waited patiently sensing that the young man had sought him out for a reason and he was curious. "So," Harper shrugged self-consciously. "You wanna get some coffee?" he offered. "Or may be I can convert you to sparky cola," Harper babbled anxiously not looking at Rev. "Or water.... or you know, whatever you want." Harper hopped from one foot to the other nervously.

"I don't drink coffee," Rev replied with a slight bow.

"Oh," Harper looked disappointed.

"But," Rev tentatively touched Harper's arm. Harper didn't flinch and Rev felt a great weight lift from him. "I will sit with you while you drink yours."

"You will?" Harper brightened. Rev nodded. "Greatness," Harper shrilled.

Harper shoved his hands in his pockets. "So," he kicked idly at the deck. "We cool?"

"We are," Rev bowed again. "As you say cool."

Harper beamed at Rev. "The coffee is this way," he put his arm around the Magog's shoulders steering him towards the mess hall. "So tell me again why do they call you Brother Behemial Far Traveler?" Harper asked.

Rev chuckled to himself as he let Harper lead him towards the mess hall, only half listening to Harper's rapid fire conversation losing track after the fourth subject change. He offered up a silent prayer thanking the Divine for the second chance with Harper - may be if he and Harper could remain friends against all odds, there was hope for Dylan's renewed Commonwealth.

THE END

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